polyarnik

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian поля́рник (poljárnik, literally “polar man”).

Noun

polyarnik (plural polyarniks or polyarniki)

1. (historical) A polar explorer from the Soviet Union.
   • 1947, Research Memorandum‎^[1], volume 5623, number 5327, page 10:

     And so, in the words of Soviet polyarniks (polar men), the Alekseyev beacon received a "higher education."

   • 1989, Gilbert Dewart, Antarctic Comrades: An American with the Russians in Antarctica:

     If this was his first year in the polar regions, the polyarnik would receive only the minimum increment [...]

   • 2002, Charles Swithinbank, Vodka on Ice, page 112:

     Only a small proportion of aspiring Polyarniks were accepted.

   • 2009, Alekseĭ Mikhaĭlovich Ermolaev, William Barr, Vitaliĭ Davydovich Dibner, Arctic Scientist, Gulag Survivor:

     He is not a specialist, and not a polyarnik. He has no geological training.

   • 2013, Willy Østreng, The Natural and Societal Challenges of the Northern Sea Route:

     The leaders of the organisation — the polar captains, pilots and other groups of polyarniks — were given military ranks, and many of its employees were also called into service in the Red Army and Navy.

   • 2022, From Northeast Passage to Northern Sea Route:

     One of these aviators, I.P. Mazuruk, later wrote: So Stalin needed the polyarniki, but at the same time he could not trust them any more than he could other Soviet citizens.

   • 2023, Karl Schlögel, The Soviet Century:

     The polyarniki— the crew of the Vostok polar station— were subjected to extensive and regular medical checks for changes in their blood count, hormone balance, peripheral nervous system and mental state.

2. A polar explorer from Russia.

Translations

polar explorer from the Soviet Union

• Czech: polárník (cs) m
• Polish: polarnik (pl) m
• Russian: поля́рник (ru) m (poljárnik)